Zhao Zhen has always been confident that if men and horses of equal strength are pressed forward to fight without fear of casualties, the elite Chuzhou Army will have an overwhelming advantage against the Chishan Army.
More than half of the Chuzhou army is old soldiers, and the new slaves and maidservants are all selected to be strong and strong. Their soldiers and armor are more sophisticated, and their food and supplies are more abundant.
The Chishan Army on the opposite side is called the First Capital, although it is said to be elite, but nearly half of the generals are still holding broken long bamboo poles called wolf fangs. Only less than a quarter of the soldiers are wearing armor, and none of them are still wearing armor.
It's the captured leather armor. Before this war started, the generals' daily food supply was only half of the normal amount.
So in the battle of Shangjiapu, Zhao Zhen was very dissatisfied with their defeat on the flank. He held his breath, thinking that one day he would find Dao Lai. The opportunity in front of him came, not to mention that they still had the upper hand in terms of military strength.
of.
Even though he led his troops from Liyang and rushed to Nantang Village, and his soldiers were somewhat physically exhausted, Zhao Zhen still firmly believed that victory was in his hands.
However, the battle broke out from the beginning of the morning until dusk. The two sides fought fiercely for more than two hours on the south bank of Qianxi and west of Nantang Village in a shallow valley more than three or four miles wide. Zhao Zhen's confidence for the first time
Shaken.
The generals of the Chishan Army were weak, and the centurions thrown into the battlefield from both sides collided with each other. More than 70% of the centurions belonging to the Chishan Army were scattered and defeated.
If this were on other battlefields, the Chuzhou Army would have secured victory long before nightfall, but the Chishan Army fought too tenaciously.
Every centurion of the Chishan Army was scattered and defeated, but the centurions in the rear or flanks were rarely disturbed. This made it difficult for the Chuzhou Army to take advantage of the opportunity to expand the results, and even had to guard against the crazy attack of the Chishan Army on the rear flanks.
Come up.
The Chishan Army was scattered, and the defeated generals were able to regroup in a very short time even in the formation, and re-blocked the gap, making it difficult for the Chuzhou Army to move forward.
This not only means that the Chishan Army's ability to withstand casualties is higher than that of the Chuzhou Army, but it also means that the organizational capabilities and operational resilience of grassroots military attachés at the two levels, including captain and team leader, are also higher than those of the Chuzhou Army.
This also caused the casualty rate of the Chishan Army on the front line of Nantangzhai to exceed 30% in just two hours of fierce fighting, and there was still no sign of disintegration or collapse in combat effectiveness. In comparison, Zhao Zhen saw from the eyes of his own generals
He looked fearful and seemed to be forced by him to re-enter the battlefield before nightfall.
The Chuzhou Army's command system is stronger at the level of team leaders and battalion commanders than fighting in formations. Although it is only a thin cloudy sky after dark, there are still faint stars shining through the thin clouds, which can make people vaguely see.
to the outline of distant mountains, but after nightfall, the Chuzhou Army had to withdraw from the bloody battlefield and retreat to a shallow stream that temporarily flowed from the western foot of Jieling Mountain to rest.
At this time, Zhao Zhen even felt lucky that the generals of the Chishan Army were too weak. Fortunately, the Chishan Army in front of him had not received sufficient food supply in the past two months, so that the fierce fighting for so long resulted in severe physical exhaustion and continued fighting.
His abilities were also severely weakened.
Otherwise, if the Chishan Army on the opposite side does not break away from the Chuzhou Army at night and continues to entangle, or even penetrate deeper into the formation, Zhao Zhen will be worried that the military attachés below the rank and file will have less combat resilience.
The Chuzhou Army is more likely to induce irreversible chaos.
Wang Wenqian felt that he had injured his ribs when the carriage overturned when he rushed to Liyang to meet Zhao Zhen before noon. At this time, he, Zhao Zhen, and Yin Peng climbed up the short ridge beside the shallow stream. He still felt a dull pain in his chest and ribs, but not at the moment.
While they were concerned about this, they looked south and could see a group of people entering the camp of the Chishan Army in the south, illuminated by hundreds of torches.
Although the Chuzhou Army's thousands of troops in Jintan rushed over at nightfall, the Chishan Army was also constantly increasing its troops on the south bank. Could they break through the Chishan Army's interception before Han Qian captured Langxi City?
Wang Wenqian's confidence couldn't help but waver, and he couldn't help asking himself this question secretly.
He also knew that once Han Qian captured Langxi City in advance, they would have to withdraw their troops. Otherwise, the Chishan Army could withdraw into Nantang Village, while Langxi City rested, breathed, and was exhausted. The Chuzhou Army, which suffered heavy casualties, continued to be exposed.
It is self-evident how dangerous it will be outside.
To be able to build a hastily assembled army with little better material conditions than the refugee army to this level in less than two or three months, what kind of military management level is this?
Wang Wenqian deeply regretted that he had not persisted in his opinion and the strategy against the Chishan Army. Even if they could mobilize about 20,000 elite troops on the southern front and put them into the battlefield, they would not have such worries.
"We still need to work harder tomorrow. The elites of the first capital of the Chishan Army are so brave to fight. Even if the third capital is extremely poorly equipped, we cannot underestimate it. Judging from this situation, the garrison of Langxi City may not be able to sustain how long.
God!" Zhao Zhen's old and skinny face was frowned like a mountain. He also regretted that he did not support Wang Wenqian's strategy of blocking the eastern front of the Chishan Army. He did not expect that after giving the Chishan Army a two-month respite, it would turn into such a big deal.
The trouble is that in the final analysis, Han Qian is not paid enough attention to.
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When Xiao Dahu and Guo Nuer led more than a thousand reinforcements to Honglin Port, it was already dark, but they were catching up with a group of Xuanzhou soldiers of 700 or 800 people who crossed Magu Mountain from the trail and circled to the west side of Honglin Port, thinking
Taking advantage of the night, they launched an attack from behind against Zhao Wuji's troops who were guarding the pass south of Honglinbu.
Zhao Wuji led more than 300 cavalry and more than a thousand infantry. After severely inflicting heavy losses on the rural soldiers and repelling the first wave of cavalry attacks by the Xuanzhou soldiers, Zhao Wuji held on for half a day at the narrow pass of less than 300 steps, repelling seven attacks by the Xuanzhou soldiers.
, the casualties were close to 500, and currently less than 900 people are still able to fight with weapons, which consumes a lot of physical strength.
Zhao Wuji's right arm was dripping with blood. He had fired his bow countless times that day and was unable to pick up an arrow at this time.
Even though he had already detected a group of Xuanzhou soldiers crossing the mountain road on the flank, he was unable to divide his troops to intercept them. He could only lead his remaining soldiers to passively guard the narrow pass and block more Xuanzhou soldiers in the south to prevent them from going north to disrupt the first army.
The rhythm of Sandu's attack on Langxicheng.
"Princes have no race, and generals have no destiny. Five years ago, I, Guo Nuer, and Commander Xiao were trampled under the soles of the soles of the aristocratic family's feet. Their situation was worse than everyone else's. To get what we are facing today, I had no choice but to hesitate.
Ming Er." Guo Nuer reined in his horse, and he and Xiao Dahu raised their arms and boosted their morale in front of the generals who had been exhausted after driving for a long time to reach Honglinbu.
The Xuanzhou soldiers who came over Magu Mountain wanted to shrink to their flanks, but they could not defeat this group of Xuanzhou soldiers at night. They would be in even greater trouble tomorrow when more Xuanzhou soldiers would cross Magu Mountain and attack their flanks.
Guo Nuer and Xiao Dahu discussed that Zhao Wuji's troops were exhausted and suffered heavy casualties, so they led reinforcements to fight at night with fire.
After a simple mobilization, more than a thousand reinforcements rushed towards the west wing. After a little hesitation, the Xuanzhou soldiers came from the west of Honglin Port, as if two torrents collided fiercely in the dark night.
Both sides completely ignored the chaos that a night battle would cause.
After spending most of the day crossing Magu Mountain via the trail, the Xuanzhou soldiers who dared to go into the night battle after a simple meal and rest were naturally the elite of the Yajun carefully raised by Gu Zhilong.
Even though they collided with the reinforcements of Xiao Dahu's troops and were at a disadvantage in terms of strength, Gu Zhilong's elite Yajun absolutely believed that victory belonged to them.
In a night battle, there is no possibility of fighting in formation, and the communication method used by the general to convey military orders with flags and drums is completely useless, not to mention that the two armies collide. Under the weak starlight, the general standing in the distance will definitely not be able to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy.
.
In the lead-colored night sky, the stars were sparse. The generals on both sides could only rely on commands and armor to distinguish ourselves from the enemy. Xiao Dahu and Guo Nuer sank directly into the sentry, each leading a guard and a sentry.
The mixed group will rush to the front, while the operations of other outposts can only rely on the command and control of the subordinate officers such as the team leader and commander.
Feeling that the enemy's offensive was completely loosened, Xiao Dahu's thigh was pierced by a spear. Under the protection of three guards, he leaned against a stone wall to rest his strength. At this time, he could vaguely see large and small groups of enemy troops moving towards the southwest.
When Magu fled from the mountain, he changed the command to retreat and asked his subordinates to pass it on one by one.
There was still a fierce battle to be fought tomorrow. Under such harsh conditions, he could not disperse his troops into the depths of Magu Mountain with complex terrain to pursue and defeat the enemy.
Xiao Dahu waited for a long time and still didn't see Guo Nuer come back. He was trying to make sure that the defeated enemy retreated completely. He didn't dare to assemble and organize an offensive from the flanks, so he took the gathered troops and horses to the pass to meet Zhao Wuji.
Xiao Dahu didn't expect that Guo Nuer had reached the pass one step ahead of him, but Guo Nuer was hit by an arrow in the face. The iron cluster of arrows penetrated from the back of the head. He was held in the arms of Lin Zongjing, who was in tears, and died of anger.
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When a small piece of fish belly white appears on the sky, the darkness covering the world seems to fade away in an instant, and is covered with a faint green shadow again. The scenery far and near suddenly becomes clear. There are burning torches on the city wall, and a pile of
The bonfire seemed to dim at this moment.
Zhou Yuanhe, the magistrate of Langxi County, who was sleeping against the crenellated wall and in his clothes, suddenly woke up when he heard the rustling sound. He knelt down and looked outside the crenellation. He saw that the black Chishan Army had already been dispatched, surging towards the bottom of the city like a black tide.
Come.
Zhou Yuanhe stood up in fear.
If we hadn't known that the reinforcements led by the governor had reached the south side of Honglin Port, more than thirty miles away, and if we hadn't known that the governor had invited tens of thousands of elite Chuzhou troops to come to the rescue, they could have defeated Nantang Village forty miles away at any time.
If it weren't for the defenders' interception, which included more than two hundred military attachés and their families in Xuancheng, Zhou Yuanhe doubted that they might have been able to survive even half a day yesterday.
The generals of the Chishan Army with crude armor were too damn afraid of death. They braved falling rocks, kerosene, and arrows to rush up, and their bodies fell like dumplings to the bottom of the city. However, they could not be allowed to have any fear when climbing the wall of the attached city.
Not the slightest hesitation.
Do these damn slaves have the heart and courage of a leopard?
Fortunately, the defenders at the top of the city had grown up a bit after yesterday's fierce battle. At this time, they picked up their swords, bows and spears and stood behind the wall. They seemed less panicked than yesterday.
As long as they are human, they will grow, and as long as they have experienced bloody and cruel wars, quite a few people will become numb when they pick up swords and spears - after all, they have been training for two or three months before, and they defended the city.
When fighting from a high position, the requirements for the formation and coordination between generals are not so strict.
There are mountains of rolling stones and wood piled up and down the city wall, bundles of arrows, more than 20 crossbows, and more than 30 newly-made rip-rap crossbows behind the city wall, as well as buckets of heated tung oil poured down.
Yesterday, with the help of these attacks, the Chishan Army was able to repulse one after another. The Chishan Army dropped thousands of corpses under the city in just half a day yesterday. This can also boost the morale and confidence of the defenders to some extent.
However, Zhou Yuanhe also noticed that the Chishan Army was in the starting position directly approaching the east city gate, and there were more than ten stone crossbows that were supported by four to five feet high.
"Whoosh", a stone bullet was thrown from the air with a sharp whistle, grazing the city gate tower and hitting the inner streets.
What a long range!
Zhou Yuanhe turned to look at the wooden building behind him whose roof was smashed through. He roughly estimated that the stone bullet the size of an adult's head was thrown six hundred steps away.
In comparison, the trebuchets built in the city could only throw round stone projectiles of considerable weight four hundred steps.
Is this the whirlwind cannon that Han Qian invented in the military?
After the Jingxiang War, the manufacture of whirlwind cannons was no longer a secret among the Chu army. However, compared to the Imperial Guards and Guards directly under the imperial court's southern and northern offices, the Xuanzhou soldiers, as a local state camp, did not know about the whirlwind.
The secret of cannon manufacturing - Gu Zhilong personally took charge of Langxi City these days and actively strengthened the defense level of Langxi. He also organized craftsmen to build a batch of trebuchets and crossbows, but he did not build cyclone cannons.
Han Qian did not put the cyclone cannon into battle yesterday, mainly because he did not make any preparations for siege on the front line of Tingzi Mountain in order to paralyze Gu Zhilong in the early stage. All war weapons and even round stone bullets had to be transported from Guangde Village before the battle.
Even though the cyclone cannon has been easily disassembled and assembled, after the heavy rain, there are only a few roads that can be used by the army to rush through, and after walking through it, it becomes muddy. Large components and stone bombs are transported from the rear and burned with local materials.
Making clay balls takes time.
In addition, due to the shortage of supplies, the number of cyclone cannons that the Chishan Army could assemble in front of Langxi City was very limited, only twelve. Once the defenders adapted to the attack rhythm and damage mode of the cyclone cannons, they would really have to be able to assemble them.
It will not take three to five days to break open a large gap in a strong city wall.
At this time, the cyclone cannon was put into the battlefield, and the more important thing was to psychologically shock the defenders and suppress the defenders at the east city gate. However, in the end, it was still necessary to rely on human lives to fill in, and to capture Langxi City through flesh-and-blood fighting.
On the cyclone cannon position outside the east city, 400 people, advanced soldiers drawn from various ministries, have been formed.
Han Qian was wearing armor and standing in front of the advanced soldiers. His eyes slowly swept over the faces of everyone. He saw a familiar face on the left side of a general and called him out: "Han Bao, your brother is the leader in the cavalry camp."
Deng, brother, father and son are joining the army. They cannot be the first to ascend at the same time. Come out!"
"Sir, Lei Peng died in battle yesterday. Gu Xiong blocked a knife for me. His whole face was split open by the enemy. I don't know if I can survive. If I don't go to the city today because I am afraid of death, I, I can't help Lei
Peng, Gu Xiong!" Han Bao stood stubbornly in the queue and said, "If my brother can survive, you will tell my brother that I have not embarrassed him - if my brother and I both die in the battle unfortunately
, please help my sister to have a family so that my mother can take care of her until she is old!"
"I have trained this kid for being disobedient!" Kong Xirong said, "I will take him with me when the time comes, and maybe he won't die so easily."
Han Qian looked at Han Bao for a while, and finally did not ask him to leave the advance team. Instead, he asked Xi Yin to help him take off his armor, and said to Han Bao: "Put on this armor and climb to the top of the city.
Fight the enemy bravely, but also pay attention to protecting yourself."
"Sir, how can you not wear armor on the battlefield?" Han Bao choked and said.
"With you fighting bravely in the front, am I still afraid that the enemy will come to me? If many of my sons died heroically, can I save my life with just these two fists? The real history is, after all,
Created by you!" Han Qian smiled, stepped forward and personally helped Han Bao put on the scale armor that he had taken off, and then watched Kong Xirong personally advance with 400 soldiers to the east gate of Langxi.
When the cyclone cannon forces all the guards out of the city gate tower, it will be the time for Kong Xirong and others to attack the city...